New Eden: Live to Play, Play to Live

Calling Jack, Alex figured out how to have enough mana to kickstart the process of forming Violette's mana lobe.

He was going to use the monster cores that the dire wolves had dropped and the remaining ones from the rat incident. This should give them enough mana to start, but it still wouldn't be enough.

Alexander knew it had taken a massive amount of mana, aside from the Aether. If their bodies had been born into a world with mana, it might have required a lot less.

But this wasn't New Eden. They would have to cheat the rules of their world.

"What's next?" Kary asked.

"Next, we call all our awakened friends, and we make them assemble at a place of our choice."

Kary tilted her head curiously.

"Why do we need them?"

"Because the monster cores won't contain enough mana. The amount we need is much higher than that. And I can't be the only one giving her mana, or else I won't be able also to create the Aether particle we need to create her mana lobe.

"So we need as many of our mana-capable friends as we can get."

Kary found this to be truly troublesome, but she started making calls again. If that were what it took to have Violette's freedom of choice, then she would call the entire world if she needed to.

Preparing everything they needed took them around an hour, and they started stressing as they saw the time.

"Is this process going to take long? We only have six hours left. If Violette isn't up for her test once it happens, we automatically fail, even after all this effort," Kary said, biting at her nails.

"Well… When I did it, I passed out. But I think it's because of all the mana I consumed, forcing the mana into me, and generating Luna and the mana lobe. If we can aid Violette as much as I think we can, then she shouldn't pass out. I think…"

Kary clicked her tongue.

"You think? Alex… That isn't good enough. She needs to be able to perform her show of force."

Alex grabbed Kary by the shoulders and embraced her.

"Hey, calm down now. She'll be alright. Violette is strong, and so are we. We can make this work. Have some faith."

Kary grumbled while in his arms, but stopped stressing.

"In any case, we should get going, too. Jack gave us access to the Olympic pools, and I ensured everyone would be there in time. But we still need to start before the end of our time."

Kary nodded as they got ready to leave.

They had to call a driver since neither of them had transportation, but they weren't left waiting for too long.

"Mister Leduc and Madam Leduc! How grateful I am that you called me again! It is always a pleasure to serve your transportation needs. Please hop in. Tell me where you need to go, and I'll bring you there in a heartbeat!" Gilbert happily greeted them.

Alex was about to tell the man they weren't married and didn't share the same surname, but Kary pinched his arm, so he instead yelped in surprise.

"Are you alright, mister Leduc?" Gilbert asked, his brows furrowing.

"Yes, yes. I'm fine. I just got stung by a bug. There's nothing to concern yourself about," Alex lied, as Kary glared at him.

Once they were in the back of the limo, Alex looked at her and whispered, "What was that for?"

She smiled at him, replying in a whisper as well, "I kind of like that he called us mister and madam Leduc. Don't burst that bubble just yet."

Gilbert climbed into his seat at that moment and leaned into the window to ask about their destination.

"So! Where to, my lovely patrons?" Novel Fire - novelfire.net

"We are going to the Olympic pools. We need to get there promptly, so if you know some shortcuts, please take them," Alex replied, smiling at the man.

"Then I will get you there in record time, my good sir!" Gilbert exclaimed, turning around and stepping on the gas.

Alex chuckled to himself, knowing that he could have gotten there faster through flight or teleportation, but he didn't say so. If they could keep a sense of normality for however long, then it was better to do so.

In the meantime, Kary started verifying with everyone that they were en route. As all her confirmations came in, she relaxed completely.

Now, it would rest on whether the operation succeeded, and Violette resisted the urge to take a power nap.

Gilbert delivered on his promise, getting them there in the quickest fashion a motored vehicle could. Kary was impressed that she had never felt traffic slow down once.

At this time of day, people going to work usually slow every street in Montreal to a crawl.

"We have arrived. Do I need to wait for you here? Or shall I go wait a little further?" Gilbert asked, leaning into the window separating them again.

"If you could wait for us here, it would be great. But please don't stop yourself from going to take a bite. It might take a few hours," Alex said, smiling at the man and handing him a hundred-dollar bill tip.

Gilbert happily plucked the bill from his hand and grinned.

"I will be right around the corner. There is this great bagel place, which I highly recommend. I will be a text message away when you need a ride back home."

Alex and Kary exited the limousine and watched it drive off before looking toward the sports center that housed the Olympic pools.

"I hope everything goes as planned…" Kary sighed.

Alex slid his hand up her back, trying to comfort her.

"Relax. We'll make this work. When haven't we? Come on, we have people waiting inside."

Kary steeled her resolve, nodding to herself, and they entered the premises.

Once inside, it was easy to see where to go, with all the directional panels and maps, and they quickly found their way to the massive indoor pools, where a dozen people awaited them.

Katherine was the first one to speak when she saw the pair enter.

"Mr. Leduc, Ms. Deveille, I hope you have a good reason to bring me and my daughter to this massive reminder of my loneliness. And why are there all these people here as well?" she asked, her tone slightly angry.

Alex stepped forward, raising his hands in a motion of peace.

"Mrs. Bellemare, I assure you, we called you here for a good reason. Plus, these people are crucial to what is about to happen. Hello, Violette," Alex said before leaning toward the little girl.

He hadn't seen her since the incident up north, and she looked at him with tear-filled eyes. As soon as he greeted her, she launched away from her mother and jumped into his arms.

"I thought you were dead!" she cried, hugging him tightly.

"There, there. I'm fine. I'm just glad nothing happened to you. I wouldn't have lived with myself if you had died. You know I'm a lot tougher than I look, right? A little thunderbolt cannot take me away from this world."

Violette cried for a few more minutes, with Alex comforting her like he would a little sister, and Katherine piped down from her anger.

She knew her daughter still had nightmares of what had happened in those woods, and it was why she was reticent about allowing her to follow Alex anywhere. He seemed to have a knack for attracting trouble and the risk of death.

But she also knew if she denied this chance to her daughter, Violette would resent her forever. Alex might not be blood, but they had developed a bond that was just as strong.

"Well, let's get this done with Mr. Leduc. I am a busy woman," Katherine said, once her daughter had stopped crying.

"Ah, yes. Sorry for the delay. Well, the first step is irrelevant to her test and is just there to ensure she is strong enough to pull off the test. But you can watch all you want, Mrs. Bellemare," Alex said, standing up and motioning to the others present.

He looked down at Violette, who became confused, and smiled at her.

"We are going to help you form your mana lobe, Violette. Do you still remember how you did it in New Eden?"

Violette nodded her head, but still looked confused.

"I already tried it. It didn't work. The mana just won't stay condensed."

Alex chuckled.

"Yeah. I thought the same thing when I did mine. We are missing a crucial ingredient on this side of the veil. I'll be there this time, to provide it. And these people will be there to provide a part of the mana, aside from the monster cores you will pull from. Are you up to the task?"

Violette looked at everyone and the briefcase that one of them held, who was the same size as her, and nodded.

"I'm ready. I can do it."